


Better Together: A #DansenFicWeek Collection

by utilitybelt



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Awkward Kissing, Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Canon Lesbian Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Canon Related, Canon Rewrite, Dansen - Freeform, Dansen Fic Week (Supergirl TV 2015), Dating, Developing Friendships, Dorks in Love, Episode Related, Established Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Established Relationship, F/F, Family, Feelings, First Dates, First Kiss, Gay Panic, Girlfriends - Freeform, Girls Kissing, Green Flags, Jell-O, Kissing, Lesbian Character, Lesbian Character of Color, Love, Missing Scene, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Movie Night, Not Canon Compliant, Pool & Billiards, Post-Canon, Romance, Secret Crush, Song Lyrics, Swing Set, Unconditional Love, Useless Lesbian Alex Danvers, What-If, Zoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25534843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/utilitybelt/pseuds/utilitybelt
Summary: A series of stories written for #DansenFicWeek, created by@DansenFicon Twitter.All pieces are unrelated and stand-alone.
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Eliza Danvers, Alex Danvers & Kelly Olsen, Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen
Comments: 30
Kudos: 65
Collections: #DansenFicWeek - July/August 2020





	1. The Power of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An emotional Alex talks to Eliza and Kelly following Jeremiah's funeral.
> 
> For the dialogue prompt "How did you know?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place the morning after episode 5x16 "Alex in Wonderland"

Alex sat on the wooden staircase with her toes buried in the sand. She held a coffee mug between her hands but the dark liquid had turned lukewarm while she stared at the rolling water in the distance.

She heard the sliding glass door quietly open and close behind her. Alex knew it would be one of three people, but didn’t want to turn around to confirm which woman it was. At this particular moment in time, one option was safer than the other two, although she would rather have her peaceful solitude continue without interruption.

“Where’s Kelly?”

“Still sleeping,” Alex answered her mother, not bothering to turn around. “Yesterday was a long, rough day.”

Eliza leaned her back against the railing and reached down to run a hand through her daughter’s hair. Alex automatically closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

“She told me about the VR glitch.”

Alex finally looked up, allowing Eliza to see her tired, sad eyes. “Did she tell you about our fight?”

“No.”

“I just…” her voice trailed off as she took a deep breath. “Kelly will say it’s because of grief but there’s no excuse for the way I treated her. Or Kara, for that matter.”

Eliza tucked Alex’s hair behind her ear. “Everyone handles grief differently.”

A watery, mirthless chuckle escaped Alex’s throat. “That’s exactly what she said.”

“She would know, sweetheart.”

“It still doesn’t lessen the sting of the things the I said or the way I behaved. This was the first time I treated Kelly with such… such contempt and anger and carelessness. If I was her, I wouldn’t have tolerated that behavior. But Kelly?” Alex closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing the tears she could feel building behind her eyes not to fall.

Knowing her daughter was struggling to control her emotions, Eliza ran her fingers through Alex’s hair again, gently scratching her scalp to calm her.

When Alex finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “Kelly was patient and steadfast and everything I didn’t deserve in that moment.”

“Alexandra,” Eliza said as she lowered her body so she was eye level with her daughter, “look at me.”

Alex did so reluctantly, revealing tear-stained cheeks. She tried to turn away but Eliza put a soft hand under her chin to maintain eye contact.

“Kelly loves you and she doesn’t strike me as the type of woman to give up on someone she loves, no matter how tough the fight is.”

“She’s right, you know.” Kelly walked across the deck to stand next to the pair.

Eliza stood and wrapped Kelly in a warm hug before heading inside. Without a word, Kelly took a seat on the step next to her girlfriend and put an arm around her shoulder.

“I love you,” she whispered after placing a kiss against Alex’s temple.

“I don’t deserve that right now.”

“Alex, you apologized and I forgave you. Yes, this was our first big fight but we can’t dwell on it. Instead, we need to learn and adapt and move forward.”

“How did you know?”

Kelly grabbed Alex’s coffee and took a sip. “Ugh,” she grimaced, setting the mug on the deck behind them. “How did I know what?”

Alex snuggled into her girlfriend’s side, resting her head on her shoulder. “That we’d make it to the funeral.”

Slipping a hand under Alex’s hoodie, Kelly used her fingertips to rub circles on the small of her back. “Because you love your mom and your sister and family is everything to you.”

The pair sat in silence for a long while, focusing on the sound of the waves and the touch of the breeze. Eventually, the sliding glass door opened and they turned around to see a subdued Kara leaning against it. “Breakfast is ready if you’re hungry.”

Picking up her mug and standing, Alex extended a hand to help Kelly to her feet. They shared a quick kiss and continued holding hands as they walked into the house. When they got to the door, Alex released her girlfriend’s hand and pulled Kara into a tight hug as Kelly continued inside.


	2. Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelly and Alex discover different green flags about their relationship.
> 
> For the theme _sentimental_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featured song: "Smile" by Uncle Kracker.

_You're better than the best  
I'm lucky just to linger in your light  
Cooler then the flip side of my pillow, that's right  
Completely unaware  
Nothing can compare to where you send me  
Lets me know that it's okay, yeah it's okay  
And the moments where my good times start to fade_

_You make me smile like the sun  
Fall out of bed, sing like a bird  
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record  
Crazy on a Sunday night  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Oh, you make me smile_

“Yeah, no. We need to address the issue ASAP and the only way to do so is with all hands on deck.” Kelly rubbed her forehead as she listed to Andrea talking. “I’ll, uh… just let me make a quick call and I’ll head down to the lab.”

Kelly leaned back in her chair as she hung up the desk phone, closing her eyes and groaning. So much for date night with Alex. She picked up her cell phone and scrolled through to Alex’s contact screen. Sighing, she thumbed the call button.

_“This can’t be good.”_

“I need to ask for a rain check tonight, babe. Sorry.”

_“It’s not like I haven’t canceled on you before.”_

“I’ll make it up to you,” Kelly promised.

==

It was almost midnight by the time Kelly pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building. She turned off the ignition and rested her head on the steering wheel, trying to muster enough energy to make it inside. It had taken the whole team hours of troubleshooting but the pressing issue had been resolved to Andrea’s satisfaction. She was even nice enough to allow everyone to push back their morning start time for a couple hours. Kelly was thankful for the opportunity to sleep in.

When Kelly unlocked the door to her apartment, she was met by an unexpected sight. Alex was asleep on her couch. Quietly talking off her heels and setting her purse on the coffee table, Kelly knelt down and gently ran her fingers over her girlfriend’s cheek. Alex’s eyes slowly fluttered open.

“I see you used the key I gave you,” Kelly smiled, brushing their lips together.

Alex stretched her arms over her head. “I hope that’s okay.”

“This is officially the best part of my day.”

Sitting up, Alex rested her forearms on Kelly’s shoulders and kissed her. “Give me twenty minutes and we’ll have enchiladas.”

Kelly sat back on her heels, covering Alex’s hands with her own. “You made dinner?”

“If I didn’t, you’d have a bowl of cereal and call it a night. This is a step up from that, even with my cooking.”

“You’re not wrong,” Kelly chuckled.

After changing out of her work clothes and into comfortable pajamas, Kelly walked into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist from behind, kissing the back of her neck as she retrieved a set of plates from the cupboard.

“Just a few more minutes,” Alex said, stifling a yawn. “Then we can inhale some enchiladas and get some sleep.”

“I didn’t say it before, but thanks for coming over and surprising me. Now I owe you double.”

Alex turned in her girlfriend’s arms. “You don’t owe me anything, babe. I know you would’ve done the same thing.”

Kelly leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “But would I? Really?”

“You would,” Alex smiled and kissed the tip of her nose, “but takeout would be involved instead.”

“Right. You. Are.” Kelly punctuated each word with a kiss before pulling her girlfriend into a proper hug.

_Even when you're gone  
Somehow you come along  
Just like a flower poking through the sidewalk crack and just like that  
You steal away the rain and just like that_

_You make me smile like the sun  
Fall out of bed, sing like a bird  
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record  
Crazy on a Sunday night  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Oh, you make me smile_

Kelly wasn’t used to traveling so extensively for work. As a psychologist in Metropolis, she saw patients at her office and would only attend conferences once or twice a year at the most. Now that she was at Obsidian North, Andrea had her flying to a different destination an average of once a month. Kelly was networking with executives at similar corporations, attending tech conferences and learning new skills at various training workshops. This wasn’t exactly the lifestyle she thought she was signing up for when she accepted the job, but she was adjusting the best she could.

The most challenging part of the whole situation was being away from Alex. Their relationship was still new and shiny, at the stage where they couldn’t get enough of each other and ended up falling into bed together most every night. Just like Kelly, Alex was learning to adapt to Kelly’s schedule as well. She no longer got upset when Kelly announced a new trip and instead always managed to adjust her own schedule so she could do every departure and arrival at the airport, no matter the time of day or night.

This latest trip to Chicago was the most challenging thus far. Less than two weeks after returning to National City from a whirlwind weekend meet and greet in Ontario, Andrea informed Kelly she would be attending a week-long trade show and conference. Kelly argued she was behind on research and consults for her own projects but the complaints fell on deaf ears. Andrea insisted Kelly was the perfect fit to not only make a presentation about the status of the Platinum lenses but to headhunt a young tech wizard to convince him that Obsidian North was where he could pursue his professional future.

So here she was, unpacking her suitcase in yet another opulent hotel room with a view of a bustling downtown area.

When she removed a pair of dresses, she noticed something she didn’t remember packing. It was one of Alex’s pajama t-shirts with a sticky note tucked inside.

_Wear it or use it as a pillowcase. You’ll sleep better with my shirt than I’ll sleep without you.  
xo, Alex_

Kelly picked up the shirt and held it to her face, inhaling deeply. The fabric was worn and soft and smelled like leather and citrus, just like her girlfriend. Removing her own shirt and slipping the t-shirt over her head, she sat on the edge of the bed and picked up her phone.

As she waited for Alex to answer the call, she lifted the collar and closed her eyes, taking another deep breath.

_“Hey, you.”_

“You were wearing this shirt last night and we had to leave the apartment extra early. When did you have time to hide it in my luggage?”

_“What shirt?”_

Kelly smiled at Alex’s playful teasing. “I’m already wearing it.”

_“Good. I hate to cut this short but I have a meeting I can’t be late for.”_

“Go. I’ll call later and tell you all about this icebreaker dinner we have tonight.”

 _“Ugh, good luck, babe. I hate those things.”_ Kelly could hear a muffled voice talking to Alex in the background.

“Everything okay?”

_“Nothing that can’t be delegated. Unlike this meeting. Talk to you later, Kel.”_

The call ended before Kelly had a chance to say goodbye. “It’s always something,” she sighed as she placed her phone on the nightstand. Staring at the partially unpacked suitcase sitting next to her, she reluctantly stood. “It’s always something,” she repeated as she picked up the dresses she had abandoned earlier.

_Don't know how I lived without you  
Cause every time that I get around you  
I see the best of me inside your eyes  
You make me smile  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild_

Alex checked her watch yet again. Kelly was a solid half hour late for their date and she was never late. In fact, Kelly was always early and Alex was usually the one running a few minutes behind. Maybe this was a sign that they were starting to absorb each other’s personality.

Kelly had the day off work so Alex could only assume she was stuck in traffic since they were meeting at a restaurant on the opposite side of town. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to check for a text but the only message she had was from Kara. Typing a quick response, Alex sat on a nearby bench and crossed her legs, tapping her phone against thigh.

A few minutes later, she heard the click of heels on concrete and looked up to see Kelly walking quickly down the block.

“Hi! Sorry, I’m late,” Kelly said as she kissed Alex’s cheek.

“No problem. I’m just glad you made it because I was starting to get worried.”

“I needed to run a quick errand and lost track of time so I left my apartment later than expected. But I think you’ll forgive me.” She reached into her purse and removed a small plastic container, handing it to her girlfriend.  
Alex did a double-take. “Jell-O?”

Kelly nodded. “From the hospital.”

“You’re gonna have to help me out here, Kel.”

She folded her hands in front of her as she explained, “We met for the first time a year ago so I thought it would be cute to bring you Jell-O from the hospital.”

“Move in with me,” Alex blurted out, eyes locked on Kelly’s. “I mean, you practically live at my apartment anyway so we should just, you know, make it official.”

Happy laughter sounded from deep within Kelly’s chest. “If I had known Jell-O was the key to the next step in our relationship, I would’ve spent the $1.99 on you months ago!”

“It’s about more than that, obviously.” Alex twisted her lips to the side and rolled her eyes, leaning in for a kiss. “I know when we had our first kiss and our first date but I never would’ve thought to remember the first time we met and you did. Despite everything you were dealing with in that moment, you locked that information away. I-I don’t know how to respond to that other than asking you to move in with me.”

Kelly brushed Alex’s hair behind her ear and tugged on the lapels on her leather jacket, eyes cataloging every feature of her girlfriend’s face. “There’s no way I was forgetting you, Alex. You were my rock that day, and almost every day after. We’ve been through a lot together and I can’t imagine my life without you, as cliché as that sounds.”

“Ditto,” Alex whispered in between kisses. “So, um… are you going to answer my question?”

“I thought I did.”

“Nope, you just wished you had bought Jell-O earlier then we started talking all mushy.”

She took a step back and adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “How long do I have to make this decision?” Kelly failed to keep a straight face.

Wrapping an arm around her girlfriend’s shoulder, Alex pulled Kelly tight against her side as they both laughed. “I’ll take your sassiness as a yes.”

Kelly poked Alex in the ribs. “Of course, it’s a yes. I love you and you make me happy. We can start packing up my apartment this weekend, if you want.”

The pair arrived at the restaurant and Alex pushed the door open, holding it as Kelly walked by. “Hell, I’m ready to start packing tonight.” A bright smile stretched across her face at the exasperated reaction she received. “Fine, we’ll be somewhat responsible and wait for the weekend.”

_You make me smile like the sun  
Fall out of bed, sing like a bird  
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record  
Crazy on a Sunday night  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild_

_Oh, you make me smile_  
_Oh, you make me smile_  
_Oh, you make me smile_


	3. Two Instead of One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Kelly didn't show up at the hospital alone?
> 
> For the theme _What if? (change a Dansen-related canon event)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some dialogue taken from episode 4x15 "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

The doctor gave them the run-down of James’s injuries. “There are going to be some tough decisions to make. Who’s the next of kin?”

“Well, there’s no family present,” Kara responded.

“Yet,” Brainy added from his position behind her. “We have notified his sister and his mother. We just don’t know when they’re arriving.”

“I can act as next of kin,” Alex said, taking a step forward.

The doctor shook his head and pursed his lips. “Unless you have power of attorney, we need a family member.”

“Look.” The slight tremor had disappeared from Alex’s voice as she switched to her more authoritative Director tone. “I’m FBI and I have extensive medical training—”

“I’m next of kin,” an unfamiliar voice interrupted. “I’m Kelly Olsen, James’s sister.” The doctor left the small group and approached the pair of African-American women carrying military rucksacks that had just walked into the lobby.

Alex leaned closer to Kara and whispered in her ear, “I thought James only had one sister.”

“Yeah, Kelly.”

“So, who’s the other woman with her?”

Kara shrugged. “If I had to guess? She’s probably her girlfriend.”

“Girl—” she cleared her throat as her eyes darted back to Kelly and her presumed girlfriend. “Girlfriend?” Alex did her best to control her facial expression at the unexpected tidbit of information. This was far from the appropriate time to fawn over a pretty girl who also happened to be the sister of one of your best friends.

Kara’s jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. “Alex! No!” she chastised, adding a smack to her sister’s upper arm for emphasis.

Alex rubbed her shoulder and glared at Kara. “Ow! For the record, there’s nothing wrong with looking.”

“Not when she’s with someone or, you know, her brother is in serious condition in the hospital.”

“I know, I know,” she sighed.

The women finished their conversation with the doctor and headed over to the group. Kelly gave Kara a tired smile and wrapped her in a tight hug. “Hey, Kara.”

Kara held Kelly at arm’s length when they separated. “I didn’t think you’d get her for a few more hours.”

“We jumped on a red-eye as soon as you called.” 

She then turned towards Alex. “You said you’re FBI, right? That must mean you’re Kara’s sister.”

Alex felt her mind go blank the second Kelly’s dark brown eyes locked with hers. She stuttered and stumbled over her words as she introduced herself, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, Alex. I’m Alex… Danvers.”

Kelly pulled her into an unexpected hug while Kara barely contained a snort of laughter at her sister’s expense. “Oh, okay,” surprise was evident in Alex’s tone.

“Thanks for offering to step up for James. I really appreciate it.”

Alex blushed and waved off the comment as she gestured over her shoulder. “Of course, absolutely. And, uh, this is Nia and Brainy. They’re friends. James’s friends.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you. All of you. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Let me take your bag, Kel.” The curly-haired woman standing next to Kelly lifted the rucksack’s strap from her shoulder. 

Kelly smiled at the gesture. “Oh, this is Erica, my fiancée.”

“Hey,” Erica said quietly as she adjusted her posture to better balance the weight of the two bags she now carried.

Kelly closed her eyes and let out a quiet sigh, smoothing a hand over the top of her head and down her ponytail. “I’m going to go see James and will do my best to keep everyone in the loop. I also told the doctor to make sure you all have access since you’re family, too.” With that, she gave her fiancée a quick kiss and headed out of the waiting room.

==

“How’s he doing?” Alex asked quietly as she walked into James’s hospital room.

Kelly gave her a small smile. “Still unconscious but that means he’s healing, so I’ll take it.”

“I didn’t have a chance to say it earlier but thank you for giving us access. James means the world to all of us.” She kept her distance at the foot of the bed, casually scanning the various monitor screens for information about James’s vitals. They all seemed within normal limits, considering.

“Of course. My brother can use all the support he can get right now and that includes drawing on the strength of his friends.”

“You know, I’m surprised we’ve never met before this.”

Kelly rolled her eyes and squeezed her brother’s hand. “Yeah, well, James has always been more of a chosen family kind of guy. Besides, who wants to be constantly nagged by their little sister about the choices they make.”

Alex quickly stifled her laughter when Kelly quirked an eyebrow at her reaction to the comment. “Hey, I’m all about chosen family but true family is important, too. Sisterly nagging or not.”

“He and I… we’ve never really been close. When we were younger, sure, but not as adults. I haven’t even told him about Erica yet so that will be quite the surprise when he wakes up.”

“That explains it,” she muttered under her breath.

“Explains what?”

Alex looked away and let out an embarrassed groan as she felt her cheeks warm. “That-that explains why, um, James never mentioned you were… well, that you were gay. I just… it seems like it-it would’ve come up at some point since I’m…”

“I meant I haven’t told him we’re engaged yet but…” she paused and quickly scanned her eyes over Alex, “Okay. Yup, got it.”

Avoiding all eye contact, Alex instead split her focus between the tile floor and the beige walls. “Okay, this has been far more awkward than I possibly imagined it could be. I, uh, I just wanted to check on James and say thanks for making sure we’re included.”

“Hey, Alex?”

“Yeah?” She stopped in the doorway and turned around, finding Kelly standing close, only a foot or two of space between them.

“Assuming James is doing okay, would you want to have dinner with me and Erica later tonight?”

Before Alex could answer, multiple machines started beeping. A split-second later James began seizing, rattling the entire bed as his body shook uncontrollably. Next thing she knew, she and Kelly were being ushered from the room, forced to stand by helplessly as the doctor and several nurses worked to stabilize James.

==

When the doctor emerged from James’s room thirty excruciating minutes later, Erica was back at Kelly’s side with a reassuring hand at the small of her back.

“Your brother’s bleeding internally, Ms. Olsen. Surgery poses a great risk to James’s spinal cord but if we don’t operate, he’ll continue to bleed out.”

“He might die?”

“There is a chance, yes. Like I said, the surgery doesn’t come without risks but his chances of survival are better.”

Erica kissed Kelly’s temple, tightening the grip around her waist. “Pretty sure James would rather be paralyzed than dead, Kel.”

Kelly stood silently in thought, her hand moving along Erica’s forearm. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet but strong. “Yeah, let’s do the surgery.”

“Great. We’ll prep him right away.”

After the doctor left, Kelly released a deep sigh of concern as Erica pulled her into a hug. Alex paced in front of the sliding glass door before interrupting their moment with a hand on Kelly’s shoulder.

“Look, Kelly, there is another option. It’s a better one.”

She was met with looks of confusion from Kelly and Erica. Alex gestured down the hallway and started explaining as the pair fell into step beside her. “Lena’s working with the government on an experimental drug that could heal James entirely.”

“Okay. Why does that sound too good to be true?”

“Because it’s not quite ready yet.” Alex held a hand palm out to stop the comment she could tell Kelly was about to make. “But I spoke to her and she said that she just needs a few more hours to render the drug non-lethal.”

“Non-lethal?!” Erica brought her fiancée to a stop with a soft grip on her elbow. “No way! Kelly, you need to let the doctors take care of James, not… Lena. Who’s Lena anyway?”

Kelly kept her attention on Alex, intent on hearing all of what she had to say, no matter how crazy it sounded. “You’re proposing that we hold off on James’s surgery, risking his life for ‘a few hours’, only to administer a drug that might kill him?”

“The operation is going to be invasive and it’s going to be traumatic to James’s entire system. He’ll be lucky if paralysis is his only after-effect.”

“That’s still better than death!” Erica exclaimed.

Alex narrowed her gaze at Erica before addressing Kelly again. “You haven’t seen Lena work. I have. I’ve watched her do incredible and impossible things multiple times.”

“Listen Alex, I understand that you trust this woman but I don’t even know her.” Kelly rubbed her fingers over her furrowed brow. “All I know is that she and James had a messy break-up and the Luthor family has done some terrible things, many of them to my brother.”

“Wait. The Luthors? Oh, hell no!” Erica was bouncing on the balls of her feet now, her frustration more than evident. “We deal with enough of Lex’s shit in Metropolis. We don’t need to deal with her sister’s shit here in National City.”

Alex’s tone was adamant, “Those things have nothing to do with Lena.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m willing to put my brother’s life in her hands with an experimental drug that may or may not kill him!”

“I just want what’s best for James.”

“So do I.” Kelly held eye contact to drive her point home. “And it’s my choice to make, not yours.”

Alex was helpless to watch as the women walked back down the hallway towards James’s room, the decision clearly made.

==

The elevator doors opened and Alex stepped around a father and son to exit. She scanned the half-filled waiting room, spotting Kelly and Erica against the far wall. They were looking at something on Kelly’s phone.

Alex approached them, clearing her throat. She held a plastic container of Jell-O in each hand, white spoons balanced on top. “Consider this a peace offering. I’m sorry about before. I was out of line.”

“I can’t eat that, I’m vegan,” Erica snipped as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her defensive attitude was grating hard on Alex’s nerves.

“Oh. Oh, okay. I just thought—”

“Well, I’m not and I’m starving.” Kelly reached up and took the container from Alex’s right hand, their fingers brushing with the transfer. “Thanks, Alex.”

Erica stood and picked up the rucksacks from the floor. “You should’ve said something, Kel. I’ll go check in at the hotel to drop our bags and pick up some food.”

“The sandwich shop across the street is really good and they have vegan options.” Alex withheld a cringe when Erica gave her a condescending smile.

“I’ll be back in an hour or less,” Erica said quietly as she leaned down for a kiss. “Love you.”

Kelly put a hand on her fiancée’s cheek and smiled. “Ditto.”

Once Erica left, an awkward silence fell between the two women until Alex starting tapping the spoon against the top of the container she still held. The soft clicking noise seemed amplified despite the drone of hushed voices talking around them.

“I’m sorry about Erica. She tends to be less than charming when she’s in protector mode. I promise she’s not always like that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m the one that should be apologizing for the situation I’m putting you, and her, in. I shouldn’t be trying to force you into the choice about Lena’s treatment.”

“You care about James. That’s nothing to apologize for.”

Kelly tilted her head towards the empty chair next to her as she opened her container of Jell-O. Taking the hint, Alex sat and opened her own container.

“You know, Jell-O really is the perfect hospital food because it’s a metaphor for trauma. If you shake it, it wobbles, but it still holds its form. If you dig in too deep, it’s never the same.” She demonstrated her words while she talked, gently shaking the container before scooping out a bite.

Alex removed the spoon from her mouth and swallowed. “You don’t seem to be wobbling very much, given the circumstances. Military?”

“Army, yeah. Both of us. Erica is air defense and I’m a psychologist.”

“Wow. Very different ends of the spectrum,” Alex hummed.

“We have pretty much seen it all. Plus, this is the fourth time Erica has visited James in the hospital and the twelfth time I have. You know my brother. He’s always running off and diving into something dangerous. It was the way he coped when things got hard at home.”

“If you keep running then you don’t have to stop and feel how much you’re hurting.”

Kelly twisted her body to better face Alex, her elbow on the back of the chair with her hand against her temple. Her eyes narrowed as she studied Alex’s face. Feeling herself blush at the intense scrutiny, Alex looked down and rubbed at the back of her neck.

“Sounds like you have some experience with that.”

“Uh, yeah. More than I’d care to admit to, actually,” Alex sighed and furrowed her brow, “But I’ve grown out of that phase. I think.”

Kelly’s smile grew as she chuckled, “Better late than never. Maybe you can teach my brother a thing or two.”

Alex pointed her spoon at Kelly before picking up another scoop of Jell-O. “Something tells me stubborn James wouldn’t be too fond of that.”

The conversation flowed easily between the pair and before they knew it, Erica had returned carrying a brown paper bag.

She gave her fiancée a kiss. “I thought we could sit outside to eat. Get some fresh air.”

“Did you want to join us?” Kelly asked.

Standing, Alex took Kelly’s empty container and stacked it with her own. “Nah, I’ve monopolized enough of your time and you’re probably sick of me talking by now anyway. Let me know when James is out of surgery though, yeah?”

“Of course. I’ll text you as soon as I hear.”

==

The hospital was in complete chaos as the women walked briskly down the hallway. Lights were flickering, staff was running through the corridors and alarms were sounding from multiple rooms.

“I picked the safe option. This isn’t supposed to happen when you pick the safe option.”

Alex stopped and gestured around them. “No one could’ve predicted that this was going to happen, Kelly. You made the best decision that you could for your brother and Lena’s drug wasn’t ready then. But it’s ready now.”

“I thought this was a non-starter. Who’s to say the drug isn’t still lethal?” Erica’s voice was firm as she placed her hands on her hips.

“I know you have a thousand reasons to not trust Lena Luthor, but I’m not asking you to trust her. I’m asking that you trust me.”

“No offense but how is that any better? You’re still a stranger to us.”

Kelly put a hand on each of their shoulders. “Can you two just… stop bickering for a minute? I need to think.” She walked away, leaving Erica and Alex in a silent stare down, neither wanting to back down from their position. 

When Kelly returned a few seconds later, her expression was solemn but resolute. “Let do it.”

“Kelly!”

Alex pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “Okay.”

“Hi! Sorry, didn’t mean to eavesdrop, nasty habit, but I heard what you just said. I brought the drug, just in case.”

Alex’s eyes went wide at Eve’s sudden appearance. “We have to find Lena. Now.”

“Her car should be pulling up as we speak.” Eve pushed her way through the trio, making her way towards the surgical suite. “Well, what are you waiting for? C’mon!” she threw over her shoulder.

==

“I only got shot once, you didn’t have to come all this way.” James’s voice was groggy as he lay in bed surrounded by his sister and his friends.

“Well, you never invite me to visit. How else was I going to meet your friends?” Kelly stepped closer to Erica, putting an arm around her waist and kissing her cheek. “And isn’t it better finding out about our engagement in person instead of over the phone?”

“Congratulations again, by the way.”

“We’re just glad you’re okay,” Erica smiled, giving James’s leg a squeeze.

The group conversation was interrupted by the ring of Kelly’s phone. She pulled it from the inside pocket of her blazer, clicking her tongue at the screen. “Jimmy, I know you just came back from the dead, but you’re about to wish you didn’t because Mom is calling.”

Alex started backing towards the door. “I think that’s our cue, everyone.”

Kelly accepted the call and handed her phone over to James. “Have fun!” she whispered as she followed the group into the hallway.

“Don’t leave me alone guys!”

Once Alex had left the room, she found a quiet spot against the wall, watching her friends laughing and smiling now that the stress of the day was behind them. She was roused from her thoughts by Erica’s voice.

“Hey, I’m sorry for being a jerk to you, Alex. In the end, you knew what was best for James.”

“I appreciate the apology but, to be honest, I was just hoping for the best like you and Kelly. I’m glad everything worked out in the end. We got lucky.”

“Remember earlier this morning when I asked if you wanted to have dinner with us?” Kelly asked. “The offer still stands. I think it would be a nice way to end the day, getting to know each other over drinks.”

Alex smirked. “Help calm the waters some more?”

“Something like that.” 

“Our treat,” Erica added.

Alex pushed off the wall and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. “Sold! I know a great burger place—” she instantly corrected herself, “Or… we can Google vegan-friendly restaurants instead.”


	4. Politics of Kissing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six different versions of a first kiss between Alex and Kelly. Three are initiated by Alex and three are initiated by Kelly.
> 
> For the theme _re-imagined first kiss_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featured songs: “Brand New” by Ben Rector, “Best Thing” by Kari Kimmel, “Did I Say That Out Loud” by Barenaked Ladies, “Crazy for This Girl” by evan & jaron, “Effortless” by Sabina Ddumba, “Taking Chances” by Celine Dion

_I feel like new sunglasses  
Like a brand new pair of jeans  
I feel like taking chances  
I feel a lot like seventeen  
I feel like windows rolled down  
New city, streets and cabs  
I feel like anything can happen  
Laughing, you take me right back  
To when we were kids  
Never thought I’d feel like this_

Alex unfolded the map in her hands, stepping to the side of the pathway to study it. “There’s a grizzly bear training session in an hour, if you want to try and catch it.”

“Where’s the exhibit?” Kelly asked, casually placing her hand on the small of Alex’s back.

“It’s, uh…”

Kelly gave her a shy smile when they made eye contact.

Alex took a deep breath and pointed to the map. “Grizzlies are there and we’re here. Looks like it’s a right at the giraffes and a left at the wolves.”

“Can we feed the giraffes? We should have time as long as the line isn’t super long.”

Putting the map in her back pocket, she took the brunette’s hand and started walking. “Absolutely! It’s disgusting because their tongues are sticky but Kara and I do it every time we visit.”

“Well, I’ve never done it so I’m willing to risk the gross out.”

When they reached the elevated viewing deck, Alex paid for the two of them to feed. The teenager running the ticket booth even managed to talk her into the private experience upcharge despite Kelly telling her to skip it.

“You don’t get a photo otherwise and that’s a must,” Alex insisted when they joined the queue. “Not only is it your first time feeding a giraffe but it’s a perfect souvenir for our first date. Here’s hoping the photographer catches you with a cringing expression when it slimes you.”

Kelly’s laughter stopped abruptly and her voice had an underlying tone of nervousness. “You said sticky, not slimy. I don’t do slime.”

Shrugging, Alex handed the attendant their tickets in exchange for several leaves of romaine lettuce. She passed half to Kelly.

“Alex!”

The redhead bumped against her shoulder and put a finger to her lips as they listened to the attendant go over the rules.

Kelly was clearly nervous as their turn quickly approached. Alex rubbed her back reassuringly and gave her a gentle smile. “I’ll protect you, don’t worry. Unless you’d rather recruit the five-year-old in front of us.” She feigned a wince when she received an elbow to the ribs in response. At least it was paired with a half-smile.

“Smart ass,” Kelly added under her breath.

“Hi there, beautiful,” Alex cooed as she offered lettuce to the giraffe, its dark-colored tongue wrapping around the leaf. “See, easy.”

“What’s its name?” Kelly asked as the animal nudged at Alex’s hand for the remaining treat she was holding.

“This is Zuri. She’s our youngest female at four years old.”

Alex stepped back and gestured for Kelly to take her turn. As anticipated, her girlfriend did not disappoint when it came to facial expressions. Her nervous smile morphed into a fleeting look of disgust before settling into a look of overwhelming awe. When Kelly had fed out her lettuce, Alex tapped her shoulder. “Here, one more.”

“That’s yours.”

“Not anymore.” Kelly’s barely suppressed giggle was worth it.

“If you’d both look this way, I’ll get your official picture,” the photographer spoke up from behind them. “And one, two… three.”

Just before the photographer snapped the photo, Alex turned her head to kiss Kelly on the cheek. When Kelly met her gaze, Alex gave her a quick peck on the lips.

“Perfect. Thanks, ladies.” He handed them a card with directions for retrieving their photos and directed them to a staircase.

“So, what did you think?” Alex asked as they joined the flow of foot traffic on the main pathway. She removed her sunglasses from the top of her head and slipped them on.

“About the giraffe… or the kiss?”

“Either. Both. The kiss, really.”

Kelly reached for Alex’s hand and brought them to a stop, causing the family behind them to veer to the left to avoid a collision. “You were wrong about Zuri’s tongue being slimy, it was just sticky.”

Alex moved her fingertips along Kelly’s forearm. “And the kiss?”

She took off Alex’s sunglasses and hung them on the collar of the redhead’s t-shirt. “Sweet and surprising.”

“So… you enjoyed both activities?” She took a step into the other woman’s personal space, their arms snaking around each other’s waists.

“Both are definitely on the ‘must do’ list anytime we visit the zoo.”

Tilting her head slightly, Alex brushed their lips together again. “First kiss with the giraffes, next kiss with the grizzly bears?”

_You’re smilin’, smilin’ there at me  
Contagious that’s the way you be  
I couldn’t dream this all up if I tried  
Walking on sunshine all day long  
Yeah, that’s how we get along  
So unexpected but I know it’s right_

Kelly opened the door and stepped back, allowing Alex inside. “Snacks are on the coffee table but I didn’t know what you’d want to drink.”

“Uh, beer is good. If you have it.” Alex slipped her jacket off and hung it up in the living room closet before kicking her boots off.

“I do have beer.” She gestured towards the TV as she walked towards the kitchen. “Streaming is set up if you wanted to pick a movie.”

Alex’s voice sounded from the living room a few minutes later. “You like _Die Hard_?”

Kelly closed the refrigerator and popped the tops off their beers. “Yeah, it’s one of my favorites.”

“Can we watch it?”

“Uh, yeah. I guess. If you want,” Kelly replied, brow furrowed.

Alex accepted the beer bottle from Kelly, studying the other woman’s expression. “Or, we don’t have to. It’s just that I haven’t seen it in forever because Kara rarely lets me pick the movie for Sister Night.”

Sitting on the opposite end of the couch, Kelly picked up the popcorn bowl and set it on the cushion between them. “No, it’s fine. Maybe an odd choice but it’s fine.”

Using the remote to type the title into the search box, Alex moved the package of Twizzlers from the coffee table to the couch with her other hand, pulling a piece of licorice out and sticking it in her mouth. Kelly watched as subtly as she could, occasionally sipping from her beer. Maybe she hadn’t been clear enough when she asked Alex to come over because _Die Hard_ definitely didn’t seem like date night material to her. At this point she didn’t want to embarrass either of them so she cleared any expectations from her mind, choosing to enjoy the next few hours for what they were. Time with Alex, plain and simple.

Much to Kelly’s surprise, _Die Hard_ ended up being more enjoyable than she expected. It was probably because of the company and getting to experience one of her favorite movies with someone that obviously shared the same level of appreciation for it. Alex possessed an amazing amount of trivia about the movie, most of which Kelly wasn’t aware of. The redhead even tossed a few handfuls of popcorn at the television when the action on the screen would frustrate her. Kelly tried to temper her smile, doing her best not to draw attention to how endearing she found the reactions.

When John McClane and Hans Gruber finally met, Kelly reached over the empty popcorn bowl for the package of Twizzlers. The plastic crinkled under her fingertips. “Did you take the last Twizzler?”

Alex bit the end of the licorice in her hand. “Not intentionally.”

“First it was chocolate at the hotel and now it’s candy in my own apartment,” Kelly sighed with mock frustration. “You weren’t kidding when you said you learned to eat all the good stuff when you have the chance.”

Holding the partially-eaten Twizzler in Kelly’s direction, Alex gave her an apologetic pout.

Kelly declined the offer with a small chuckle. “Don’t give me that face.”

Alex shrugged and took another bite, leaving the remaining piece sticking out of the corner of her mouth.

Resting her arm over the back of the couch, Kelly’s attention shifted from the movie to Alex. She didn’t even try to hide her stare this time. Feeling herself being watched, Alex gave the other woman a side-long glance as a blush started to creep up her neck.

“What?” she asked with a self-conscious laugh.

Without saying a word, Kelly leaned forward and closed the distance between them. She carefully bit off a piece of the candy, allowing their lips to briefly brush together, before sitting back and casually reaching for her beer from the coffee table.

Dumbfounded and caught off guard, Alex chewed and swallowed, her expression remaining neutral.

Nerves raced through Kelly’s body. Maybe she was reading Alex completely wrong and made a mistake. The boldness she felt seconds ago was quickly disappearing, only to be replaced with worry that she had crossed a line that could potentially ruin the friendship between them.

“Did you just _Lady and the Tramp_ me with a Twizzler?”

Kelly shrugged a shoulder and rolled her eyes, not able to make eye contact as she tried to play off the moment. “I guess I did, yeah.”

Alex turned her body to face Kelly more fully. “It would probably be better now. Without the Twizzler. If you wanted to try again. Which we should. For science.” Her sentences were choppy but her words were clear.

“For science,” Kelly replied with a nod.

The women leaned in for another kiss. This time, they lingered. Both were smiling when they separated, albeit shyly.

“You were right,” Kelly almost whispered, “That was much more enjoyable without the Twizzler.”

Alex nodded and shifted closer, moving the popcorn bowl out of the way. She reached for Kelly’s hand and laced their fingers together. “Well, you can’t go wrong with science.”

Kelly rested her palm against Alex’s face and drew her in for another series of kisses, the action of the movie completely forgotten.

_When you get close  
And my heart goes  
Boom boom pow!  
Did I say that out loud  
When you kiss me  
And it hits me  
If I try to write about it  
Someone’s gonna dis me  
Miss me, miss me  
Now we got a history  
Is it such a mystery  
How I fell for you  
How I fell for you_

“The nine would be an easier shot.”

They were on their fourth game of pool and Kelly hadn’t pocketed more than three balls before Alex would end up running the table. The fact they were each on their third beer probably didn’t help.

The glare Alex received in response to her comment was enough to make her raise a hand in surrender and move to the far end of the table. As expected, Kelly missed. The cue ball traveled far enough but with the aim slightly off, it merely grazed the twelve.

“Shit.” Kelly stood up, frowning.

“Here,” Alex said as she reset the twelve a few inches and picked up the cue. “You get a do-over, but you’re going after the nine.”

Kelly tucked her hair behind her ear with a huff of frustration. “There’s no way I can make that. The twelve was a straight shot.”

Setting the cue ball back in its original location she pointed out the geometry of the shot. “It is, but the nine is an easy bank. You don’t have to put any more power behind it than you did with the twelve and it’s technically a straight shot towards the rail. The ball will bounce back and roll right into the side pocket.”

“Okay, hot shot. Prove it.” Kelly picked up her beer and drained the remaining amber liquid from the glass.

Alex walked behind Kelly to stand on her other side. “Block the pocket so we don’t lose the ball.”

Bending over, Alex lined up her shot. Running the stick against the fingers of her left hand a few times, she took a breath and connected with the cue ball fairly hard. It rolled to the middle of the table, making a solid crack against the nine ball, which then bumped the rail and rolled right into Kelly’s hand.

Their fingers touched when Alex took the nine back from Kelly. The women held eye contact a bit longer than necessary before Alex cleared her throat. “Your turn.”

Resetting the balls again, Alex stepped back to give Kelly enough space at the table. She leaned her stick against the wall and took a long swallow of her beer.

“There’s no way I’m making this shot,” Kelly griped over her shoulder.

“Well, not if you don’t square up your body better.” Alex set her bottle down and moved closer to Kelly. “Can I?” she asked, a hand hovering over the other woman’s right hip.

Kelly nodded.

Alex carefully placed her palm against the denim of Kelly’s jeans, her fingers gently squeezing in an effort to get her to shift position slightly. Her left arm stretched out next to the brunette’s and slid her aim a few inches to the right. “How does that feel?”

With Alex holding the back of the stick, Kelly reached up and swept her long hair over her shoulder to allow them an unobstructed view of each other. “Better.”

Once again, the two held eye contact. Alex could feel her heartbeat start to race as her eyes scanned Kelly’s features, continually returning to her slightly parted lips. “Maybe it’s just the beer talking but… I really want to kiss you,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Kelly quietly responded.

The moment was completely shattered a second later when they moved in for the kiss at the same time and bumped their foreheads together with more force than either expected.

“Ow!”

The women immediately separated, Alex rubbing her forehead and Kelly wincing as the stick dropped from their hands and onto the table.

“That… wasn’t how I wanted that to go,” Alex grimaced. “At all.”

A chuckle sounded from deep in Kelly’s throat. “How did that hurt so much when we were so close together?”

“A very good question.” Alex glanced around them, trying to see if any of the other people in the bar had witnessed their embarrassing attempt at a first kiss. It seemed they were safe. She turned her back to the pool table and rested against the edge of it with her hands bracketing her hips. Dropping her chin to her chest to hide the blush she could feel warming her cheeks, her fingers drummed against the rail.

“Alex?”

She lifted her head and took in Kelly’s soft, understanding expression. “Can we try that again?”

“I’d like that,” Kelly smiled, standing in front of Alex.

“I’m gonna go this way, so you need to go that way,” Alex laughed as she gestured to her right then left.

“Good to have a clear plan this time.”

Taking a deep breath, Alex and Kelly leaned in, their lips successfully meeting in a simple kiss. Alex wrapped her arms around Kelly’s waist when she felt Kelly’s arms stretch over her shoulders.

Alex’s eyes remained closed for a second after they parted. “Re-dos are a good thing because that was… that was _much_ better.”

Kelly ran her fingers along the edge of Alex’s shirt collar. “Still want to show me how to make that shot?”

“Only if I can kiss you again.”

There was no hesitation from Kelly as she pressed their lips together again. This time, the kiss deepened and lingered to the point of breathlessness when they eventually had to stop.

Kelly backed out of Alex’s hold and reached for the stick haphazardly laying across the pool table. She tapped the tip against Alex’s chest. “Teach me to sink the nine and we can kiss again.” 

_Would you look at her  
She looks at me  
She’s got me thinking about her constantly  
But she don’t know how I feel  
And as she carries on without a doubt  
I wonder if she’s figured out  
I’m crazy for this girl  
Yeah, I’m crazy for this girl_

Kelly and James sat on one side of the diner booth and Alex and Kara sat on the other. The remnants of their finished brunch littered the nearly empty plates in front of them.

As the laughter died down from an old CatCo story Kara was telling, Kelly felt a foot nudge her leg under the table.

“You’ve been quiet,” Alex said over the rim of her coffee mug.

Kelly stared at the orange juice glass she was rotating between her fingers, a half-smile lifting the corner of her mouth.

James bumped against his sister’s shoulder. “Uh oh. I know that look.”

“You do, do you?” Her voice was tinged with sibling sass.

He nodded with a laugh. “You have a crush on someone! You looked the exact same way when you fell for Eric Ritter in fourth grade.”

“I did not! And I was more interested in his older sister, anyway,” Kelly quickly added under her breath.

“A crush!” Kara’s eyes lit up and she was almost vibrating with excitement.

Alex set her mug on the table and leveled a glare at her sister, then at James. “Leave her alone. It’s none of our business.”

“Who is it? The barista at Noonan’s? Or the receptionist at CatCo? Wait, no! It’s has to be the waitress at that Mediterranean restaurant we’ve gone to a few times. She definitely has eyes for you.”

“Kara!” Alex chastised, smacking her forearm. She turned to Kelly with a sympathetic expression. “If it is the barista, don’t waste your time. Yeah, she’s pretty but there’s not a lot going on upstairs.”

Kelly raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Alex tried to shrug it off. “We, uh, we dated for a couple months.”

Kara grimaced and shook her head. “Yeah, that was a rough one.”

“It’s definitely not the barista,” Kelly confirmed. “She probably doesn’t even realize I’m interested anyway.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Kel.”

“James is right. You’re the complete package and any woman would be lucky to date you. I mean, I know I’d feel that way.”

Kelly’s head snapped up and her body tensed. Alex’s words echoed inside her head. _I know I’d feel that way._

The women sat frozen, staring at each other, unable to look away yet unable to speak. James’s eyes shifted between them.

“Kara?”

“Yeah?” she responded, a confused crinkled forming between her brows.

“This is where we leave. C’mon.” He stood and picked up the check from the table. “We’ll be waiting outside whenever you two settle whatever this… is.”

The movement at the table seemed to snap Kelly back to reality. She watched in silence as Alex slid out of the booth so Kara could follow James to the front counter. When she sat back down, she took James’s seat next to her. Their shoulders and thighs were mere inches apart now.

“It’s me? You have a crush on me?” Alex’s voice was calm, if not the slightest bit confused and curious.

Kelly let out a huff of laughter as she folded her napkin into a smaller and smaller square, finally giving up and tossing it on top of her plate. “Are you kidding? I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“I… okay, wow. I was not expecting any of this.” Alex rested her chin in her palm, her attention remaining focused on the woman to her right. “Can I ask how long?”

She rolled her eyes and leaned back against the seat cushion.

“That long, huh?”

“That long.”

A comfortable silence fell between them. Occasionally, their gazes would meet and hold until the eye contact became too intense and one of them would look away.

Alex broke the silence. “Confession time. I… I have a crush on you, too.”

Kelly blinked in disbelief. Her mouth opened and closed several times but a response eluded her.

“Think about it,” Alex continued, “I practically forgot my name the first time we met and the more I got to know you, well…”

Overcome by a burst of confidence she felt compelled to act on, Kelly cupped Alex’s face between her hands and drew her into a kiss. Alex resisted for a split second before Kelly felt her relax, their lips moving together instinctually as Alex’s hands gently held Kelly’s wrists.

“I didn’t expect that either,” Alex quipped when they separated.

“Ditto.” Kelly brushed her thumbs over Alex’s cheeks before leaning in again.

_‘Cause we float like the river, oh  
Bring sweet to the bitter, oh  
If we fall then we get up, oh  
We don’t even try  
‘Cause through it all  
It’s effortless  
So effortless  
It’s effortless  
We don’t even try, not at all  
Not at all, so effortless, yeah_

“Are you up for a walk?” Alex asked as she picked up the sandwich wrappers from the picnic table and dropped them in a nearby trashcan. “If you can excuse the cheesy suggestion, there’s a playground on the other side of the park with swings.”

Kelly couldn’t contain her smile. “That sounds perfect.”

As they walked along the path lit with street lights and strings of twinkle lights, Alex kept her hands buried deep in the pockets of her leather jacket while Kelly’s were in the pockets of her jeans. Despite being surrounded by city lights, the inky sky was clear, allowing pockets of stars to be visible.

“One downside to living in the city is barely getting to see the stars.”

“Growing up in Metropolis I never thought much of it. Then I was deployed and there’s nothing but miles of stars in the desert.”

Alex casually brushed the back of her hand against Kelly’s before interlacing their fingers. “Whereas I grew up using a telescope every night. The stars managed to keep me grounded during the toughest times growing up.” She felt Kelly give her a gentle squeeze and looked down at their joined hands. When she looked back up, she was met by Kelly’s warm brown eyes. “But… I guess that’s something we have in common.”

“It is.”

Leaving the main pathway, they cut through the grass to the empty playground. Alex grabbed the chains of one of the swings and held it steady as Kelly sat down. She took a few steps backward and carefully pushed Kelly forward with a hand in the middle of her upper back.

“You were the quiet kid that spent recess on the swings, weren’t you?” Alex asked as she gave Kelly a final push before letting her keep her own rhythm.

“Let me guess, you were the tomboy that played sports with the boys?”

“Nope.” Alex grabbed the chains of another swing and backed up several paces before taking three quick steps forward and jumping.

“Alex, be careful!”

Her foot landed squarely on the seat of the swing as her momentum carried her past Kelly, who was now stationary as she watched. Alex’s laugh was loud as swung back, then shifted her weight forward again. “Daredevil swinging.”

Kelly laughed and turned herself in a circle, letting the chains twist around each other. Once they were sufficiently tight, she lifted her feet and let herself spin unfettered as the chains unwound. This was a side to Kelly Alex wasn’t used to seeing. She was used to the other woman being strong and guarded but this version of Kelly was one she was quickly growing fond of. The genuine smiles and laughter and light-hearted moments were all things Alex wanted to see more of. She also felt an unusual sense of pride when she was the cause of them, like now.

Making sure Kelly was watching, Alex jumped off the swing and landed somewhat gracefully in the sand, her arms moving over her head to help keep her balance.

“Daredevil, indeed!” Kelly cheered, clapping as Alex gave her an exaggerated bow.

Alex walked over to Kelly’s swing and put her hands over the other woman’s, holding her in place. “You know what the best part of tonight has been?” She received a questioning hum in response. “How effortless it feels being with you.”

“There’s a lot to be said for friendship.”

“But it’s more than that.” Alex knelt in the sand so she was eye level with the other woman. “There’s an implicit trust and comfort I haven’t felt in a very long time, if ever. I want this to work, Kelly. I want you to be my girlfriend.”

Leaning forward, Alex lightly touched her lips to Kelly’s. She felt her smile into the kiss as their fingers intertwined and rested together in Kelly’s lap.

“I’m glad you had the courage to ask me out because I want to be your girlfriend, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Alex stood and walked behind Kelly, setting her swing into motion. After a handful of pushes, Alex brought her to a stop. She tilted her head down as Kelly tilted hers up.

“Ready to go?” Kelly asked.

“Not quite yet.” She twisted her head slightly so they wouldn’t be quite as awkwardly positioned when she pressed their lips together. “I just wanted to kiss you again. Because that’s something girlfriends do.”

_You don’t know about my past and  
I don’t have a future figured out  
And maybe this is going too fast  
And maybe it’s not meant to last_

_But what do you say to takin’ chances  
What do you say to jumpin’ off the edge  
Never knowin’ if there’s solid ground below  
Or hand to hold or hell to pay  
What do you say_

Game night had ended hours ago. J’onn had kicked the Super Friends out despite offers from all of them to help with cleanup. “I’ll get to it in the morning,” he had insisted. Kelly had held her ground the longest, eventually relenting when Alex put a gentle hand on her elbow and whispered in her ear.

“It’s a losing battle.”

She had turned to her with a defeated expression.

“C’mon, I’ll walk you back,” the redhead offered, holding up Kelly’s blazer.

Now, they were sitting on the curb in the parking lot of her hotel. Kelly found herself transfixed as Alex talked about the influence J’onn had had on her life when she hit rock bottom. She was speaking with complete honesty and candor and Kelly found herself respecting her new friend even more. Kelly was almost jealous of the easy way Alex so easily laid herself bare. She had learned significant amounts of information about Alex’s life, details she herself wouldn’t be willing to share with someone until they had known each other for a much longer period of time.

But there was something about Alex that settled Kelly’s anxiety about letting her guard down. She could count the number of people that knew about her fiancée on one hand without using all her fingers. Alex was different though. She felt safe opening up around this woman, a feeling she had missed without realizing she missed it.

Alex left out a huff of laughter as she ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this. It’s not like you asked.”

“I don’t mind listening,” Kelly said, resting a hand on Alex’s knee.

Both women stared at the point of contact between skin and denim. Kelly withdrew her hand and stood, shoving her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. Alex followed suit.

Kelly scuffed her foot on the pavement, looking towards the entrance to the hotel. “It’s late and you still have to walk back to your apartment.”

The redhead nodded. “I’d offer to walk you up to your room but that seems kind of silly.”

“But I appreciate the thought. And thanks for inviting me tonight. It was fun.” She took a step forward and pulled the other woman into a hug, feeling Alex reciprocate the gesture without hesitation. The hug lingered longer than necessary and when they separated, they remained in each other’s physical space. Kelly’s gaze unconsciously flickered from Alex’s eyes to her mouth several times… and she noticed Alex doing the same.

The moment was broken when Alex cleared her throat and took a full step back. “Okay, I’m-I’m gonna head home. It’s late,” she stammered.

“Night, Alex.” Kelly gave her a shy smile and wave as she walked into the hotel.

The brunette removed her key card from the pocket of her blazer while she waited for the elevator. Tapping it against her thigh, she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. “Way to chicken out, Olsen,” she quietly chastised herself. “You _are_ allowed to the make the first move. One she probably wasn’t going to reject.”

When the elevator paused its descent on the fifth floor, Kelly made a decision. She put the key card back in her pocket and walked through the lobby. When she got to the main sidewalk out front, she looked left and right, hoping Alex was still in the vicinity. Seeing a shadowy figure two blocks away and across the street, she took off jogging.

“Alex!” Kelly called out when she reached the corner.

Alex stopped walking and turned towards the sound of the voice, a confused expression on her face. Kelly was only slightly out of breath when she caught up to her.

“Kelly, what—”

The rest of Alex’s sentence was cut off when Kelly put her hands on either side of Alex’s face and crashed their lips together. She felt arms wrap around her waist as Alex melted into the unexpected kiss. Kelly’s hands moved down Alex’s neck and settled on her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze.

Kelly was decidedly more breathless when they broke apart, her heart racing as she waited for some sort of response. Good, bad or indifferent.

“—was that?” Alex finished her sentence, albeit likely not as originally intended.

“I hope I didn’t cross a line but I’ve had these… butterflies in my stomach for weeks now and every time we’re together they won’t stay still and they were driving me crazy all night. From the moment you knocked on my door I was waiting for the perfect opportunity to kiss you and we had it but then I chickened out and…” She took a deep breath before continuing. “If I’ve learned anything it’s that regret is something you can’t easily forgive and sometimes taking a risk is the only want to put it to rest and I really hope I haven’t made a mistake because I don’t want to swap one regret for another.”

“Ditto.”

Before Kelly could process the meaning of the simple word, Alex’s warm lips were pressed against hers again.


End file.
